Superlatives like “super fight” get thrown around during boxing promotions, but the phrase couldn’t be more fitting for the mouthwatering matchup between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford. 

Undisputed welterweight supremacy will be on the line Saturday night when Spence and Crawford clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime pay-per-view. The victor will be crowned as the best welterweight fighter in the post-Floyd Mayweather Jr. era. 

Regarded as two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters, Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) and Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) have been vying for a bout over the last half decade. 

Enduring a grueling negotiations process and uneasy concessions finally forced the fight across the finish line. 

Now the winner will be in the driver’s seat for a likely rematch, setting up yet another potential super fight depending on how the first one unfolds. 

In an interview with krikya360.com, Spence said he believes his pact with Crawford will help provide a blueprint for much desired fights and lucrative events to come to fruition moving forward. 

“It might be. Hopefully, we put a little fuel on the fire to make these big fights happen, and the [fighters] can see that it is more lucrative for you to fight another top guy, and hopefully, it can happen, but I don’t know,” said Spence.

“People have different promoters who have different managers, and people have different incentives. I only know that I wanted the fight, and Terence wanted the fight, and I don’t think people are going to wait around for a year or two years. 

“Me and Terence is something that’s been going on for a while, trying to make the fight happen, and we both stayed on top regardless of what happened outside of the ring. 

“I don’t think you’re going to get anything like that where you got a guy that is waiting two, three, four years, both opponents are waiting for you to fight each other, and they both are on the top of the sport.” 

Spence vs. Crawford is one of several high-profile fights that have headlined 2023 so far, with Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant, Stephen Fulton vs. Naoya Inoue and the upcoming fight between undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo being on the shortlist for some of the others. 

Spence said he’ll be focused on securing his financials moving forward just as much as – if not more than – his credentials. 

“[Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is] cool and all, but it’s something I don’t really care about,” said Spence. “My main objective is beating the best opponents out there and getting the most money I can. 

“That’s the only thing they really imagine today because the fans, the promoters, the managers are not going to take care of the fighter after he’s beaten up and battered. I got to take care of myself. So for me, I want the most lucrative fights out there.

“My thing is if I make it to the Hall of Fame, that’s cool, but I’m not the type of guy that’s all I want is getting the Hall of Fame. 

“My main objective is to make sure my finances are in order, and I can leave this game with my head held high, and I don’t have to come back because I have to and come back and just get beat up. If I do come back, it’s because I want to.” 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.